The Indian FTR is well known in American flat track championships and has been the bike to beat, achieving enormous success in the United States. With that, the brand decided to expand the FTR family, which now has 4 different variations. Here, we will talk about the Carbon, the most equipped one.
The most attentive ones noticed that our report from Lés-a-Lés, in the previous edition, was done on board this Indian FTR 1200 Carbon R – FTR R Carbon for simplicity. And with long-term tests becoming increasingly scarce in the industry (unfortunately), it was very pleasant to ride over 2,000 km in four days with this Indian and go through all possible and imaginable situations. Rain, sun, bad road surfaces, highways, national roads; a little bit of everything to put all the capabilities of this Indian to the test.
When we see “Carbon” in the name of any bike, we know beforehand that it will be an extremely well-equipped model and, as the name suggests, full of carbon. This Indian is no exception and the FTR Carbon is indeed the most equipped of the four sisters. Still, the engine is the same 1,203 cc V-twin block with 120 hp, with an impressive maximum torque of 118 Nm at 6,000 rpm. This engine is a powerhouse of brute force and impresses with the ease it has to destroy the rear tire, even with high-speed corner exits and low revs. This block really asks to be used at low and medium speeds, offering its best behavior there, since at higher revs it vibrates a lot and doesn’t deliver anything it didn’t deliver before.
THE BEST Engine availability, brakes, suspensions TO IMPROVE Dashboard interface, engine vibrations
TOP COMPONENTS
And if we combine an engine that allows us a relaxed but fast driving experience with top components, what do we have? An Indian FTR Carbon with fully adjustable Ohlins suspensions on the front and rear, and Brembo brakes with two 320mm discs on the front and good calipers for a lot of power and feel, and a 260mm disc on the rear. Although the base version already comes equipped with these brakes, the Ohlins suspensions are exclusive to the Carbon and behave in a sublime way, especially on rough roads (where we are forced to notice the behavior of the suspensions more), allowing us to ride at a considerably high pace without worrying about unexpected reactions – especially the front, which proved to be quite precise and focused on the asphalt, even with all the power wanting to lift the front wheel. The Metzeler Sportec M9RR tires complemented all of this and proved to be a good choice for this motorcycle – with good performance even in the rain. The frame showed some rigidity, but this was compensated by the excellent work of the shock absorber and front fork. Even with its 235 kg with the 13-liter fuel tank full, we were able to extract good performance from the whole set, with some extra weight from this motorcycle being noticeable, thus requiring extra work from the rider.
EQUIPPED TO THE MAX
We have already talked about the suspensions as something exclusive to this model. Naturally, all the carbon we see on the bike is also specific to this FTR R Carbon, but there is much more, especially in the electronics. In summary, in the base version, we have a 4″ analog instrumentation and only ABS and Cruise Control as standard aids, while in the more equipped version of the FTR, we have a 4″ touch screen (with Bluetooth connection to the mobile phone) with three different driving modes (Rain, Standard, and Sport), inclination-sensitive ABS, stability control, wheelie control, and we still have the cruise control present in the base version. This Indian FTR R Carbon also incorporates a USB port on the side of the panel, which can be quite useful for trips like the Lés-a-Lés. And going back a bit to the touch screen, I would say that, despite being small by current standards, it has everything we need and showed good visibility and sensitivity. It was quite easy to navigate through it, but still, the interface seems to be a bit outdated and slow, taking some time to be ready to be used. As for all the electronic aids, they were very welcome and I would even say almost essential when we reached a certain pace on this bike. With the huge torque and the desire to push us forward, the action of the electronics was beneficial and not intrusive, revealing to be well tuned in this FTR R Carbon.
OUR VERSION
The bike we tested was practically new, with few kilometers and had some extras, in addition to those already standard on the Carbon version. The waterproof side case was an addition that we greatly appreciated from Indian and can be something that comes in handy (and it did) for everyday use, or even for long trips – we chose to use this accessory as a mechanic bag in case something went wrong, which fortunately did not happen. This bike was also equipped with a top case support that was essential for us to place the travel bag. And I say essential because it allowed us throughout the journey – mainly on the highway – to move more freely on the seat, since the bag was not taking up space.
AFTER 2,500 KM
After 4 days and over 2,500 km, the evaluation of this Indian FTR R Carbon was quite clear. The carbon adds a special touch to this motorcycle (and for some reason, more weight), but what stands out the most in this version are the suspensions and how they behave within the frame and engine. We are not dealing with a leading motorcycle in the high displacement naked class, but that is not the purpose at all. Indian wants to offer an exclusive, quality product that meets what is stated in the technical specifications, offering a balanced set, with good handling and an engine that offers good availability without being a powerhouse. For traveling, this motorcycle can be a bit tiring due to its aggressive riding position for the legs, but with a fuel tank of only 13 liters and a consumption of around 6.5L/100 km, we will not be able to go much further than 200 km at a time, so we will be “forced” to stretch our legs. But by choosing national roads with some curves in between, the Indian FTR R Carbon becomes a very fun and dynamic motorcycle. Fun and dynamic, that’s how we will end with a good definition of this motorcycle.
INDIAN FTR R CARBON
ENGINE 2-cylinder V, liquid cooling
DISPLACEMENT 1,203 cc
POWER 89.4 kW (120 hp) @ 6,000 rpm
TORQUE 118 Nm @ 6,000 rpm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed
FRAME Steel trellis
FUEL TANK 13 liters
FRONT SUSPENSION fully adjustable Ohlins inverted suspension, 120 mm stroke
REAR SUSPENSION fully adjustable Ohlins shock absorber, 120 mm stroke
FRONT BRAKE double 320 mm Brembo disc, 4-piston calipers
REAR BRAKE 260 mm disc, 2-piston caliper
FRONT TIRE 120/70 R17
REAR TIRE 180/55 R17
WHEELBASE 1,525 mm
SEAT HEIGHT 780 mm
WEIGHT 235 kg
MSRP (starting from) 18,990€
